Au revoir ! Dr. Dagenais accepts full time position with the NDEB

Dr. Marie Dagenais has recently announced that she will be leaving the Faculty for a new venture with the National Dental Examining Board (NDEB) in Ottawa. Dr. Dagenais will assume the position of Director of Examinations and Credential Verification. She will be dedicated to developing authentic, valid and reliable board examinations for future dentists in Canada.

Dr. Dagenais will most be remembered for her passion, her dedication and her service to the Faculty, to her colleagues and to students. When asked what she liked most about working in the Faculty she quickly says, “Watching and helping students become great clinicians. I have also enjoyed my many lunches with Véronique, Jeffrey, Jean-Marc and Sam where we discussed the curriculum and how to change the world.” Her proudest moment was in 2011 when her student Kristina Dee, Sarah Habib, Amanda Cristinziano and Joanna Lamberts became finalists for a Forces Avenir Award http://www.forcesavenir.qc.ca/universitaire/finaliste_view/3361 for their work on educating parents to take care of the teeth of their pre-school aged children.

Dr. Dagenais joined the Faculty in 1988, taking on the responsibility of teaching oral and maxillofacial radiology. She rapidly took on other major responsibilities as part of the Curriculum and Student Promotions Committees. In 2000, she became Associate Dean Academic and took over the very significant responsibility of overseeing the DMD curriculum and the admission and evaluation of DMD students. She is currently Chair of the Admissions Committee and as such sits on the Faculty’s Executive Committee. Her service to the Faculty and excellent teaching was recognized through her being awarded the WW. Wood, H. Katz and R. Silverstone teaching awards in 2004, 2005 and 2006 respectively.

Over the years Dr. Dagenais has become heavily involved in several national dental organisations leading to her being President of the Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry (ACFD) in 2005-06 and President of the Canadian Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Radiologists in 2008-11. In addition, during the same period, she had leading roles for the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada and the NDEB. Her service to dental education and to organized dentistry over many years was recognized in 2013, when she was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the ACFD.

Dr. Dagenais will be sorely missed. Over the last nearly 30 years she has had a large impact on the Faculty. We wish her the very best in her new career with the NBED and look forward to working with her regularly in her new role.